HEALTH

NHS Foundation Trusts

Ben Bradshaw: The chairman of Monitor—the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of NHS foundation trusts—announced this week that, in accordance with section 35 of the National Health Service Act 2006, Monitor has decided to authorise the following NHS acute and mental health trusts as NHS foundation trusts from 1 February:
	Mid-Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust;
	Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust;
	Bolton, Salford and Trafford Mental Health NHS Trust;
	Tameside and Glossop NHS Trust; and
	Birmingham Women's Health Care NHS Trust
	Monitor's announcement brings the total number of NHS foundation trusts to 88. A copy of Monitor's press notice has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The Government remains committed to offering all NHS acute and mental health trusts the opportunity to apply for foundation status as soon as practicable. Monitor is now authorising trusts on a monthly basis, and further waves of NHS foundation trusts are set to follow.